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No tradeoff in Cong support to DMK in RS poll: Wasnik

Chennai, Jun 30, 2013 (PTI):

Congress today rejected suggestions that its support to DMK in the Rajya Sabha elections was a tradeoff in return for securing its erstwhile regional ally's backing for the Food Security Bill.

"Congress does not believe in tradeoffs. Supporting DMK in Rajya Sabha elections was a political one," AICC General Secretary in-charge of party affairs in Tamil Nadu Kerala and Puducherry Mukul Wasnik told reporters here.

He was replying to a query as to whether there was a tradeoff for backing the Food Bill in Congress' support which helped DMK's Kanimozhi to get elected in the June 27 beinnial polls for a second term in the Upper House of Parliament.

"After careful analysis, this decision (to support the DMK) was taken. The decision was not taken in isolation," he said.

To a query on whether there was possibility of an alliance with the DMK which walked out of UPA over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, he said, "These matters are not decided now. There is still some time away for the polls. Only when Parliament elections are closer we can take such decisions."

Asked if Congress would like to have DMDK in its fold, he said, "We can't take any decision now."

Replying to a query on the rise in fuel prices, he said, "You are aware that the government doesn't have control on international prices of petrol."

Explaining on party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's aspiration to have 50 per cent women in the All India Congress Committee, he said, "In the AICC, we have few women now. Rahulji expressed that party should move in such direction so that the representation of women in AICC increases. So, for the next few years, were are going in that direction."